This should be our policy - not to make khas maitri or aam maitri. It should be maitri. Because of some historical reasons, sometimes friendship can become more warm. But that is a different matter. We ourselves should not try to make a distinction as khas maitri and aam maitri.

Our decision to improve relations with China does not in any way mean that there is going to be any effect on our relationship with Soviet Russia, because our relations with them are of a positive nature. And these are based on certain experiences and certain positive attitudes. I am sure that this type of friendship will certainly grow from strength to strength, though we want to improve our relations with China and other neighbours.

Here I would like to make one point. I am reminded of the argument made by Shri Prakash Veer Shastri yesterday. He said that since we have decided to improve our relationship with China, it was proved that we were following an independent policy. Whom are we trying to convince ? Do we need any proof to show that we are following an independent policy because we have taken a step towards China? We have always been having an independent policy (Interruptions). Our friendship with the USSR has been deliberately misinterpreted by some people in other countries. Really speaking, there was no necessity of interpreting that and saying : ‘Now you are a good boy, you are trying to do this.’ So this logic, I did not like not from you, Mr. Prakash Veer Shastri. I just wanted to make this particular point.

Now, something about Pakistan. Pakistan is one of our neighbours. We have taken certain steps. We have been trying to take such steps since Independence. But they have not reconciled themselves to India. What can we do? We are neighbours. Geographical neighbourhood is something that we cannot choose. You can choose anything else. We are neighbours geographically. We have to take it as a fact of life. From the very beginning, we have been trying to make efforts in this direction. Well, what happened in 1971, etc., I do not want to go into. The Simla Agreement was there. We did take many steps. Some steps were successful. But, then, there was rather a halting situation. Recently, our Prime Minister took the initiative, and Mr. Bhutto also responded to that.